Balta spent his second pre-season training as a forward and ruck and showed progress by kicking two goals in an intra-club practice in late February 2019. It was enough to earn him a berth in the club's first official pre-season match, a community series match against Melbourne in Shepparton. Balta earned significant public and media attention with a "massive" second quarter performance in which he kicked two goals, took five intercept marks and recorded seven disposals on his way to a total of 18 disposals, nine inside 50s, six marks and two goals for the day. He followed that up with one more goal in the club's final pre-season match before earning a senior AFL debut in the season-opening match against Carlton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Playing as a forward and a relief ruckman, Balta managed one goal in the match, doing so with his first kick in league football. In that same match, All-Australian defender Alex Rance suffered a season-ending knee injury, leaving Balta considered as an option to replace him in the Richmond backline despite debuting as a forward. Balta was ultimately passed over for the role in round 2, dropped to VFL level instead where he played solely as a defender. Following that match, Balta returned to AFL level in round 3, playing as a defender. The positional switch was not to become permanent however, with Balta regularly moved between forward, defence and the ruck across the early months of the season. In round 5 he kicked his first multiple goal haul, with two majors in the win over Sydney. After kicking a goal as a forward, Balta was sent to defence mid-match in round 7 to help quell the influence of Western Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton. To that point he had recorded the equal-fastest single in-game sprint speed of any player in the league so far that season (34.9km/h). Balta had a then-career best 13 disposals in round 8, forced into the role of lead ruck when Toby Nankervis went down injured midway through that win over Fremantle. He bested that mark with 14 disposals against Hawthorn in round 9 in which he was named among Richmond's best players by The Age. At that time, coach Damien Hardwick said the club's coaching staff envisioned Balta eventually transitioning into a fulltime defender despite his currently fluid role. For the third consecutive week he set a new personal disposals record with 18 in round 10's Dreamtime at the 'G win over Essendon in which he also set new highs for clearances (seven) and contested possessions (16). Balta remained in the senior side through the mid-season bye including in round 13, when he shared lead ruck duties with Mabior Chol in his side's loss to Adelaide. To that point he led all Rising Star eligible players for total hit outs that season despite limited game time in that role, while also placing fourth for inside-50s, contested possessions and contested marks among the same cohort. Following the injury return of many of the club's senior leaders post-bye, Balta was dropped back to VFL level where he played the fullback role as the team's deepest defender. He suffered a minor quad injury early in his second match back, missing most of that game as well as one further match before returning to VFL football in mid July. Balta improved his defensive form in the weeks that followed, before being best afield in the VFL in mid-August while playing a ruck and forward role that included 18 disposals, 21 hit outs and two goals. He impressed enough to earn a recall to AFL level for the final match of the home and away season, but recorded just five disposals and 10 hit outs before being immediately dropped from the AFL side. Balta also suffered a corked thigh during that match that saw him miss the club's first VFL final, before returning with 12 disposals in a tall defender and ruck dual role in a VFL preliminary final win over Port Melbourne. Playing as a defender the following week with 11 disposals and seven marks, Balta was named by AFL Media among Richmond's best players in the VFL side that defeated Williamstown to win the club's first reserves grade premiership since 1997. He also took part in AFL grand final festivities the following week, participating in and making the final of the league's Grand Final sprint. Balta finished 2019 having debuted and played 13 matches at AFL level, while also winning a VFL premiership after nine matches with the club's reserves side.